The present invention relates to a support used in association with a cup of a brassiere and, more particularly, to a plastic substantially U-shape undercup support which has preselectively different cross-sectional configurations along its length and to a brassiere incorporating such supports.
1. Field of the Invention
A support, a stay or an underwire is desired in some types of brassieres to provide upward support for the cup of the brassiere. The upward support can reduce the strain on the shoulders of the brassiere wearer, and enough upward support can be provided so that the brassiere may not need shoulder straps or, at least, will need less support from the shoulder straps. Further, the upward support enhances the shape of the brassiere and, therefore, the features of the wearer.
2. Description of Related Art
Metal underwires, and in particular substantially U-shape metal underwires, are so universally used in brassieres that this type of brassiere is generally known as an underwire brassiere; however, such prior art underwire brassieres have certain shortcomings. Specifically, a metal underwire has little resilience and, therefore, easily twists or distorts out of shape which distortion causes discomfort to the wearer. Accordingly, to minimize distortion, brassiere manufacturers have recommended that their metal underwire brassieres not be machine laundered. In addition, machine laundering causes the end portions of a metal underwire to damage the stitching of the sheath or pocket of material in which the metal underwire is typically enclosed in the brassiere frame so that the metal underwire will "poke-through" the brassiere. Hand laundering, which is required to avoid this poke-through, is inconvenient to the consumer. Only recently has a manufacturer of a metal underwire brassiere even suggested machine laundering and this provided the machine laundering is at a gentle, or special, cycle. However, gentle cycle laundering is inconvenient and time consuming. Specifically, gentle cycle laundering has both slower spin and milder agitation features than a normal cycle laundering, and therefore the gentle cycle laundering is not suitable for heavily soiled garments. Accordingly, gentle cycle laundering is normally limited to delicate type garments since they are not heavily soiled. Further, a relatively smaller number of garments can be laundered during gentle cycle as compared to the number laundered during normal cycle.
Some stays and supports have been made of plastic. However, a plastic support is much weaker than its similarly configured metal underwire. Accordingly, the plastic support needs to be made of a material and of a configuration which provides enough rigidity at the portion thereof under the breast of the wearer. However, such rigidity is not desired at the end portions of the plastic support since such rigidity will cause the end portions to rub against and thereby irritate the wearer as the wearer moves.
Prior art plastic stays and supports have taken various measures to provide the desired rigidity and yet avoid having the end portions thereof irritate the wearer. Such measures are found in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,633 to Chalfin is directed to plastic strips which, in certain embodiments thereof, have a body portion and tip portions of different resiliency since the tip portions are made from a softer resin material and of a thickness less than that of the body portion. The tip portions also include notches which are provided to sew the strip in place in the brassiere.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,606 to Tareau is directed to a U-shape plastic stay which can be made from any one of a variety of cross-sections and which has an aperture in one end thereof for fastening the stay to the brassiere and a joint in the other end thereof for fastening the stay to another stay.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,763 to Schwartz and U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,244 to Rowell are directed to U-shape plastic supports which preferably are of a rectangular cross-sectional configuration. The Schwartz patent provides that the terminal end closest to the arm of the wearer is twisted out of the plane of the remainder of the support, while the Rowell patent provides a dished-out contour, i.e. the base area of the support is bent slightly forward out of the plane of the end portions and the inner peripheral edge is angularly offset from the outer peripheral edge, and end portions which may have enlarged knobs to substantially reduce or preclude abrasion of the end portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,240 to Cousins is directed to a crescent shaped stiffening structure for use in a brassiere, which can be made of plastic. In one embodiment, the stiffening structure 21 has a main support member 24 which may be tapered three dimensionally (i.e., thicker at the center and thinner at the periphery and ends for increased flexibility) which member 24 is appended to a crescent shaped flange 26. Another embodiment provides for a pair of flanges 28, 30 on opposite sides of the main support member, which flanges provide rigidity. The flanges 28, 30 may have either staggered bifurcations (FIG. 6) or staggered notches (FIG. 8) for providing flexibility. Although not shown, column 2, lines 46-49 of this patent, may suggest that a single flange portion is repeated bifurcated to add more flexibility.
However, such measures have made the brassiere costly to manufacture, have not completely eliminated stress from being applied to the wearer by the end portions of the support and/or the side panels of the brassiere, and further many of such prior art plastic supports and stays do not provide adequate support and comfort.